European Casino Association joins EL and WTA in an alliance to fight online illegal gambling

The European Casino Association (ECA), the European Lotteries (EL) and the World Tote Association (WTA) came together in the Alliance Against Illegal Gambling to support the upcoming Digital Services Act package of the European Commission, which will modernize the rules to tackle illegal online content through its notice-and-action mechanism.

"The Digital Services Act is an important step in the fight against illegal online gambling, which represents a real threat to the safety of all players in Europe," the ECA said in a press release Friday. "Furthermore, illegal gambling undermines the efforts of licensed providers on consumer protection and anti-money laundering requirements."

The association also noted that illegal providers do not pay the due taxes in the country where the consumers are located, so they do not contribute to any possible public good. "In addition, they trigger unfair competition with legal gambling operators, jeopardising their legal business models and the substantial economic and social impact they provide to EU member states. Lastly, they do not offer any kind of support to problem gamblers, unlike legal operators that strive to protect vulnerable players."

Per Jaldung, ECA Chairman, commented: “We strongly believe that a greater convergence amongst relevant stakeholders of the EU gambling industry is crucial to tackle common and crucial issues such as illegal gambling. The Alliance aims to raise awareness and work together with policymakers to address it effectively. By bringing together our voices, we can provide a key support in protecting consumers across Europe. Additionally, we fully embrace the Digital Services Act package, which represents a critical step to deal with this particular social scourge.”